Building on the success of the Admobile series of marketing utility vehicles, Spark has entered into a new partnership with Unicell to introduce a new line of good-looking and fuel-saving advertising vehicles. The new Aerocell Advan series uses the same proven scrolling components found in the Admobile marketing utility vehicles, but wraps them in a super-strong fiberglass body.

The fiberglass design is five times stronger than aluminum, yet is more affordable to repair in the event of damage. The Aerocell Advan bodies are available for cutaway Ford and GMC truck chassis and feature a sleek integrated aerodynamic fairing, which can increase fuel efficiency by up to 20% over more typical box truck designs. The totally smooth body is entirely rivet free, and has no seams whatsoever.

The Aerocell Advan bodies are offered in DAV configurations with side ad windows up to 5' x 12' - the widest available anywhere. Rear scrolling ads dominate the back of each truck body, and measure 5' x 5'. An Isuzu NPR based model is also availble, without the integrated fairing. Unicell, based in Buffalo NY and Toronto, ON backs up the Aerocell line with a 5 year warranty.

Priced from $55,990 (with Ford E350 chassis), the Aerocell Advan is Spark's most affordable advertising vehicle.

It's been an interesting couple of years in the mobile advertising business. Virtually every one of Spark's competitors in the mobile ad truck business has now closed. Spark Equipment remains the oldest maker of mobile advertising truck bodies and accessories in the business. We've been at it longer than all of our competitors combined. One reason is great products and the know-how to teach customers how to use those products to build a successful business. But the more things change around us, the more things stay the same...

Another reason why Spark has weathered the recent recession is due to of the strength of our partner relationships. Spark's truck bodies are assembled in the largest, most stable truck body manufacturing facilities in America. Spark products have the benefit of over half-a-million square feet of manfucturing shop space and Spark components are cut using CNC routing equipment. Other mobile ad truck makers cut parts by hand and put them together in two-bay garages. Your new mobile ad truck from Spark will come with a five-year warranty on the body, supported by manufacturers who have been in business for decades. The Spark body warranty is longer than any other mobile advertising body seller has even been in business.

Spark Equipment is now an EXIT Realty Approved Supplier. Over the years, Spark’s unique marketing utility vehicles have become valuable assets for REALTORS, who use the trucks to promote their real estate businesses while doing double duty as working moving vans. EXIT franchisees and agents can take advantage of special offers and predesigned ad posters that are ready to install and have been pre-approved by EXIT’s corporate offices. In addition to promoting the local EXIT broker’s office, brokers can profit by selling several of the scrolling ad spots to their top producing agents and their local business allies such as insurance agents, pest control companies, and banks.

Many Spark owners use Spark’s in-house printing services for their scrolling poster printing needs. The company has seen thousands of individual ads come through the system since 2002. As one might imagine, some ads have been really great, while many that would qualify for the advertising hall of shame.

Jump to the PDF document "Design Tips for Mobile Advertising Success" if you don't care to read all of today's post. Read More...

It’s easy to get excited about the value proposition that comes with owning a mobile advertising vehicle. Playing with a calculator can generate some eye-popping numbers. Read More...

If you’ve ever wanted to get a look at a Spark truck up close, here’s your chance. Join Spark factory staff and local Spark representatives from your city as we demonstrate the latest in advertising vehicles. You’ll be able to see up close what makes Spark trucks an important and affordable part of any business, big or small. Watch the smooth scrolling ads, take a look at the cavernous cargo capacity, and see the attention to detail that makes Spark truck bodies stand out from the crowd. If a picture is worth a thousand words, seeing a new Spark body in person is priceless.

Follow the link for the calendar of dates and cities. Read More...

One of the most visible benefits of Spark products is the ability to quickly and inexpensively change your company’s advertising message. For $135 per side, Spark owners can install new ads and graphics that completely transform the look of their truck. That’s a total investment of about $400 for new graphics on three sides. Compare that with the cost of wrapping a vehicle with your company’s logo and brand.

Compare a wrapped truck to a tattoo. It may have seemed like a good idea when you had it applied, but one learns that you’d better really like the graphics, because there’s significant pain and expense involved if you ever want to remove either one. Read More...

We like to answer the question, “How is the construction of Spark truck bodies different from other mobile advertising bodies?” It’s all about the details. Some of the details are hard to see in a picture online or in a brochure, but up close its evident that Spark goes to great lengths to make the bodies look more like something that comes from Toyota or Ford, and less like some of the advertising contraptions that one might find sold on Ebay.

Ordinary box truck bodies are covered with exposed bolts and rivets, and their body panels are joined with simple white caulk. No amount of shiny trim or diamond-plated panels can cover up that hand-fabricated look. Consider the exterior of a Spark Expo. Its body panels have gaps that are as tight as the gaps between Read More...

Mark Twain said “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Recent Spark prospects report some information that ought to be filed in the “damned lies” folder.

Apparently, if one were to base their knowledge of Spark products on information provided by other companies specializing in DAV sales, they might believe that Spark bodies are built from plastic, manufactured in China, and Imported through the Middle East. Wow. We had no idea. They have no clue. Read More...

David Hoheisel, Spark Factory Rep from Columbus, Ohio, reminded us of a feature that almost every Expo owner gets for free.

90% of pickup trucks have a light over the back window that is used to illuminate the truck's pickup bed at night. Dave discovered the switch for that light on the dash of his Toyota Tundra / Expo 7 demo truck. When he turned it on, the light lit up the entire front of the Expo body. The Expo box is usually about 10 - 12 inches taller than the pickup cab, and with the flick of a switch, Hoheisel discovered that he could draw extra attention to the truck. He has taken advantage of that space by wrapping it with an ad for his business.

It's a great free feature that will give all Expo owners even more attention than they bargained for! Read More...

Continuing today's theme of Regulation, here's a story about a Nevada brothel that has started using mobile advertising. Billboards advertising brothels are now legal in Clark County. This might not cause much trouble in Las Vegas, but it might just be another example of what happens in Vegas, should stay in Vegas. A video link to the KVBC-News3 TV story is here. In the video clip, a gentleman interviewed by KVBC refers to the mobile billboard for the Chicken Ranch as "classy". (We report, you decide.)

Mobile advertising is so highly visible and effective that MUV and DAV truck owners really need to hold themselves to a higher standard regarding the types of ads that they accept and display on the light up rotating or scrolling displays. Stay away from clients like this at all costs.

Read More...

Not more than ten hours after the last post about regulation, this article appeared in the Virginia Beach Pilot about their city's sign ordinance. There is a long running dispute between Elaine Cayton, owner of Admobile of Hampton Roads and about half of the Virginia Beach city council members. Cayton's business is one of the most responsible, well run, and civic minded mobile advertising companies that we are aware of. The people of Virginia Beach feel the same way, too, as the results of the Pilot's online poll tilt in favor of Admobile by about 2 to 1.

Take a moment to vote in the Virginia Beach Pilot's online poll, and post a comment to let them know your thoughts.

Read More...